The boss of Mercedes-Benz, Dieter Zetsche, has labelled the CLS Shooting Brake as the iPad of the motoring world after it was finally revealed in its production form this week.
Amid questions about the need for a coupe estate at the premium end of the market, the car was compared to the Apple tablet device, whose design has led to a host of plaudits and created a burgeoning new market with tech buyers.
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In response to the sceptics, Dieter Zetsche said: 'Maybe those were the same people who wondered two years ago if the world really needed iPads. Or those non-believers 125 years ago who asked does the world really need a horseless carriage'.
The all-new large and premium family car uniquely combines a coupe and estate bodystyle, and is set to reach UK showrooms in November 2012, with prices starting from around £48,000.
The CLS Shooting Brake originates from the concept car called the ConceptFASCINATION, which was shown back at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.
Following a positive reception, Mercedes opted to make an updated version called the Concept Shooting Brake at the 2010 Beijing Motor Show.
The five-door and five-seater CLS Shooting Brake offers up to 1,550 litres of rear loading space, which is more than you get from target rivals including the Audi A6 Avant and BMW 5 Series Touring.
In the UK market, the CLS Shooting Brake will offer two turbodiesel engines plus one petrol unit to choose. The turbodiesels include a 201bhp 2.1-litre unit in the CL250 CDI model, and a 261bhp 3.0-litre V6 for the CLS350 CDI version.
The powerful petrol engine will be a 518bhp twin-turbo 6.2-litre V8 unit, to be used on the CLS63 AMG performance model.
The Shooting Brake range will utilise rear-wheel drive and a seven-speed automatic gearbox as standard. Various fuel-saving features are also thrown in including a stop-start system and brake energy recovery capabilities.